The Authenticity of Personal Branding
Masters Thesis
2011-05-26
Authors:
Graham Hillgren
Karen O Connor
1
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to explore how authentic online brands are
created when the actual brand building process can lead to an
inauthentic product.
Relevance for theory and practice:
Authenticity in personal online branding is something of an abstract
concept that has been seldom examined on this level. By combining
the corporate branding, personal branding and authenticity literature
the idea of how to create an authentic personal online brand.
Given that attempting to create an „authentic‟ online brand can be
viewed as process that essentially creates a less authentic persona,
there is a need for an in-depth study showing how a certain level of
authenticity can be achieved.
Method:
A netnography was used to conduct this study. Five bloggers had their
practices studied through observations as well as their motivations
analyzed through in-depth qualitative interviews. The results of the
observation and interviews were analyzed through the use of
Kapferer‟s Brand Identity Prism, Rampersad‟s authenticity framework
and Aaker‟s brand personality dimensions.
Findings:
All subjects identified blogging to be the most authentic way to create
a personal online brand. Using the corporate and personal brand
building literature a process was derived as to how authentic online
brands are created when the actual brand building process can lead
to an inauthentic product. This is a new development to the field of
personal online branding and will help private individuals cultivate an
authentic personal online brand.
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1. Introduction
1.1 Background............................................................................................5
1.2 Problem Formulation.............................................................................6
2. Literature Review
2.1 Introduction …………………………………………………………………..9
2.2 Peter Montoya………………………………………………………….........9
2.3 Tom Peters……………………………………………………………………..11
2.4 McNally and Speak……………………………………………..................12
2.5 Blogs…………………………………………………………………………....17
3. Theory
3.1 Introduction…………………………………………………………………..20
3.2 Definitions……………………………………………………………………...21
3.3 Branding……………………………………………………………………….21
3.4 Authenticity of personal branding………………………………………..25
3.5 Authenticity and craft consumption……………………………………..31
3.6 Motivation……………………………………………………………………..32
4. Methodology
4.1 Introduction…………………………………………………………………..34
4.2 Netnography…………………………………………………………………34
4.3 Research Subjects…………………………………………………………...35
4.4 Conducting trustworthy online research………………………………..35
4.5 Conducting ethical online research……………………………………..35
4.6 Observation…………………………………………………………………..36
4.7 Interviews………………………………………………………………………38
4.8 Data Collection………………………………………………………………41
4.9 Data Interpretation………………………………………………………….41
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5. Analysis
5.1 Introduction…………………………………………………………………..44
5.2 Practices………………………………………………………………………45
5.2.1 Blog 1……………………………………………………………………45
5.2.2 Blog 2…………………………………………………………………….48
5.2.3 Blog 3…………………………………………………………………….53
…..5.2.4 Blog 4…………………………………………………………………….56
…..5.2.5 Blog 5…………………………………………………………………….60
5.3 Discussion……………………………………………………………………...63
5.4 Motivations…………………………………………………………………….65
5.4.1 Blog 1…………………………………………………………………….65
5.4.2 Blog 2...............................................................................................67
......5.4.3 Blog 3...............................................................................................69
......5.4.4 Blog 4...............................................................................................72
......5.4.5 Blog 5...............................................................................................75
5.5 Discussion.................................................................................................77
6. Conclusions ..............................................................................................80
7. Limitations of the study ………………………………………………………83
8. Further Research ……………………………………………………………...83
9. References ……………………………………………………………………..85
10. Appendices …………………………………………………………………..91
10.1 Interview Questions ……………………………………………………91
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Introduction
1.1 Background
Over the last decade a paradigm shift has influenced how
practitioners and academics alike interpret the branding process.
Theories and practices that had existed for generations of business
people have become outdated, as new avenues for creating brands
have been developed. Perhaps the most interesting development in
branding research has been the rise of the personal online brand. A
personal online brand is a brand that is created and developed by an
individual as a way of differentiating his/herself in the ever-growing
digital marketplace (Schawbel, 2009). Whilst many researchers have
previously focused on the role celebrity plays in building an online
brand, few have analyzed how someone without notoriety is expected
to create a meaningful online brand (Montoya, 2002, Peters, 2007).
With the advent of an increasing number of social networking sites and
people of all ages becoming more technologically literate it is vital to
know the why and how for creating an effective personal online brand.
Much of the literature in this field pertains to how individuals can
employ social networking sites in order to create their personal brand.
With Facebook recently surpassing Google as the world‟s most visited
website in 2010 (Personal Branding Blog, 2010) it is evident that social
networking sites are integral in the creation of a personal brand.
However, it is our belief that social networking sites be employed as a
tool to complement and connect one‟s online branding efforts but
must not be used exclusively as a brand-building device. In our view
the most important resource in creating a personal online brand is
blogging. Online branding researchers seem to be in agreement with
this statement. HubSpot‟s 2010 analysis of Inbound Marketing states
that blogs are among the most quickly expanding section of
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marketers‟ overall budgets (Personal Branding Blog, 2010). This statistic
indicates that although research in this area is critically lacking,
marketers are aware of the effect that an authentic online personal
brand supported through blogging can yield considerable influence
and market power. Research in this area is critical in understanding the
effects that blogging can have on personal online brands.
Although blogging is an effective way of creating a personal online
brand, the question still remains as to if an authentic personal online
brand can be created through blogging or any other medium for that
matter. The process of branding one‟s self can be argued to be a
process of de-authentication of a human entity. In order to analyze
this paradox, we have conducted interviews with bloggers avidly
creating online brands in addition to an observational analysis of their
blogs to see if their practices in fact match their motivations.
1.2 Problem Formulation
The literature and theory of the burgeoning field of personal online
branding leaves several gaps to be analyzed for our purposes. The first
problem that arises in reviewing previous research is the lack of
consistency between corporate branding and personal branding
literature. Authors like Kapferer (2002), at the forefront of corporate
branding research, maintain that this literature can be used in all facets
when building a brand. His Brand Identity Prism is a framework that has
the potential to be used in all areas of branding but thus far has only
been employed when discussing corporate branding. It is our belief
that this framework can be extended to include personal online
branding as well through slight modifications. In terms of the personal
branding literature, it is often said that company branding strategies
can be employed by individuals looking to brand themselves but often
the research stops there without going in depth as to what strategies to
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pursue and how they relate to the personal branding paradigm.
Through our study we are looking to exploit this gap by testing existing
corporate branding theories on personal online brands created
through blogs.
The most recent consultancy literature on personal branding comes
from an academic point of view but has not been fully realized in
previous studies, an important gap to note. Much of the literature is
focused on aiding people at a professional level to capitalize on their
personal brand through the use of social networking sites. It is useful for
academics and practitioners alike to better understand what types of
social networks are most suitable for personal brand building as well as
how this can relate to corporate branding literature. Significant
amounts of research conducted in this area points to social networking
sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter and how they can be
manipulated to develop a personal online brand (Kaputa 2005,
Schawbel, 2009, Shepherd, 2005).
Schawbel (2009), a seminal
researcher in personal branding, pushes the idea further and
introduces blogging as one of the most useful tools in creating an
online brand but fails to delve deeper into comparisons between what
makes a brand authentic in the consumer‟s eye. The traditional
research focusing on the large social networks fails to account for any
level of authenticity in relation to a personal online brand. This study
argues that authenticity is lost in a brand when the individual is forced
to enter information into pre-determined fields on widely used websites.
In order to be authentic one needs to remain consistent with the
messaging as well as having a freer reign to manipulate and present
information to his/her followers/supporters.
Research needs to be
conducted at greater lengths in this area in order to better understand
this important field, something this study attempts to accomplish.
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Continuing on the gaps in the authenticity literature, it is often unclear
how one can remain authentic when promoting/marketing themselves
as a brand, a construct of how one would like the world to perceive
them. It can be said that branding something immediately makes it
inauthentic, as it is no longer unique and original but available to the
masses. The research fails to show whether or not a personal online
brand can be created through blogging with a level of authenticity
attached to it. Blogging is primarily focused on because, as outlined
above, it is the truest form of self-expression available on the Internet.
To better understand the paradox of authenticity in personal branding,
motivations as well as practices of people trying to create personal
online brands need to be analyzed. It is important to not only see what
bloggers write/post in their workspace but also to understand how
authentically their blog reflects them as people. Perhaps bloggers are
not seeking authenticity in their work but previous research fails to show
any signs of this. What we are eager to find in this study is how
authentic online brands are created when the actual brand building
process can lead to an inauthentic product. In order to delve further
into this topic we have observed blogs from people of different ages
and walks of life and conducted interviews simultaneously observing to
see if their practices match their motivations in creating a meaningful
and authentic personal brand
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Chapter 2: Literature Review
2.1 Introduction
The literature behind personal branding is concentrated from the late
1990‟s and follows the path of reasoning through a social and
professional capacity. Many published authors in this area focus on the
professional market outlining the importance of this phenomenon while
providing useful case theory to support their work. Another group that
have taken a keen interest in this area are consultants who pride
themselves on creating meaningful steps in supporting a successful
personal brand. From an academic angle the marketing literature on
this area is quite scattered, where gaps and contradictions are
apparent. Also, given that this is a relatively new phenomenon there
seems to be little attention given to the evaluation of the practices and
motivations that this process promotes. To begin the analysis and
discussion of previous literature, we will begin with the pioneers of this
area and then consider those practitioners and consultants who are
continuingly examining this phenomenon.
2.2 Peter Montoya
Montoya (2002), an established author in the area of personal
branding, has written a number of books on this phenomenon
concentrating his efforts on defining, building and strategising in
personal branding. His books are based on personal branding and his
method to support his work is based on successful personal branding
cases. He concentrates on cases of business individuals and celebrities
in order to determine their rise to building a successful personal brand.
According to Montoya, personal branding is about taking control of
the process that affects how others perceive you and managing those
processes strategically to help you achieve your goals. He states that
you as an individual already have a brand, „ like a pearl inside an
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oyster, built from layers of your behaviour and treatment of others, the
results of your work and the things you say‟ (Montoya, 2002). Montoya
believes that your personal brand affects your life in more ways than
you realise. He states it can affect many areas of your professional and
personal life; whether you are considered for a job or other
opportunities, the credibility of your input, the amount of attention
attracted to you, how competition respond to you, the goodwill or ill
will of others, the perceived quality of your service and products
offered, whether your unique selling proposition is distinct and valuable
in society (Montoya P, Vandehey T, 2002). These realisations can be
clearly outlined in Montoya‟s eight unbreakable laws of personal
branding which are considered to be the essential characteristics that
should support your identity. These laws include the law
of
specialisation, leadership, personality, distinctiveness, visibility, unity,
persistence and the law of goodwill.
Montoya stresses that a great personal brand „is a personal identity
that stimulates precise meaningful perceptions in its audience about
the values and qualities that person stands for‟ (Montoya P, Vandehey
T, 2002).
Montoya (2002) is one of the pioneers in the personal branding field
and has provided extensive knowledge in this area. While his work is
highly regarded in the field of personal branding, we must question his
method of case analysis based on celebrity and business individual
branding. Considering these cases are an inadequate means to justify
personal branding. While they are a great measure of success their
motivations may not be comparable to an ordinary individual. While
many may aspire to be a celebrity or an entrepreneur there are others
that may wish to grow their brand through discreet but effective means.
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2.3 Tom Peters
In 1997 Tom Peters‟ article „The Brand Called You‟ first appeared in a
trendy management magazine Fast Company, where the self help
movement crossed over to the marketing and branding management
sector. This is where the personal brand was born. Peters‟ interpretation
of personal branding is one, which very much links corporate branding
to personal branding. „Big companies understand the importance of
brands. Today, in the Age of the Individual, you have to be your own
brand. Here's what it takes to be the CEO of Me Inc‟ (Peters, 2007). He
examines the personal branding concentrating on the visibilities and
communication „Those in quest of a personal brand are encouraged
to expose their braggables in every venue available to them by
launching a full-on „personal visibility campaign‟: „When you‟re
promoting brand YOU, everything you do – and everything you choose
not to do – communicates the value and character of your brand‟
(Peters, 1997: 83). In this famous article Peters expresses the need to
question yourself every step of the way to ensure your brand equity is
growing and strengthening constantly. He states that this can be
achieved by the reinforcement of values and actions that represent
these expressed feelings. While comparing an individual to a product,
he asks, what makes you different? What‟s your pitch? What‟s the real
power of you? What‟s loyalty to you? What‟s the future of you? (Peters,
2007). Peters‟ latest book [Brand You 50] seeks to transform the
individual into an instrumental object, a product that is directed by the
market. Fundamentally this is a person. Peters explains that this places a
premium on those who can shift their needs and personae to
accommodate changes in the market (Peters, 1997).
While Peters‟ work examining the movement of turning individuals into
instrumental products is an interesting concept which is supported by
many in the field including Montoya, what they have failed to consider
is human nature, for example considering brand image and identity in
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the corporate world consistency is one of the essential components.
Translating this to the personal branding movement, one must consider
individual needs to play a number of different roles in their lives
therefore possibly conflicting with the brand building process. However
this does not eliminate the need for the collaboration of corporate
branding and personal branding literature, rather it confirms the
consideration of authenticity when creating a personal brand.
2.4 McNally and Speak
McNally and Speak two established personal branding experts have
just updated their personal branding book Be your own brand; achieve
more of what you want by being more of who you are. The updated
version was prompted due to the changes in personal branding
regarding the use of social media (McNally, Speak, 2011). According
to McNally and Speak (2002: 62): „Defining your personal brand
dimensions and refining them into a personal brand platform involves
identifying the competencies, standards and style that go into each
relationship people have with you‟(McNally, Speak, 2011). They mirror
Peters‟ and Montoya‟s transformation from the personal brand to a
corporate brand stressing that in order to make a personal brand work;
you need to understand how a business brand works. They also
acknowledge
that
the
principles and
ideas
developed
and
successfully applied in business are readily adaptable to aiding the
creation of a personal brand (McNally Speak, 2011). In building a
strong brand they offer three components set to secure this, strong
brands are distinctive, relevant and consistent.
Again one could argue the relevancy of the consistency component
declaring that people command different roles in their life and this
consistency found in corporate branding can be hard to transfer to
personal branding. Moreover at this point authenticity can be
introduced as McNally and Speak introduce this area. While Montoya
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and Peters touch on this in their writing, McNally and Speak highlight
this area in great detail. Their approach to this area is based on the
premises that values are important and they maintain that a successful
brand is an accurate, genuine representation of the substance at the
core of the originator be it business or individual (McNally and Speak,
2011). However in saying this there seems to be a clear contradiction
which can be highlighted from their work and those previously
mentioned. While the following scholars have stressed the importance
and need for a personal brand delivered through corporate branding
practices, explaining that an individual must present themselves as a
product, they also have introduced the need for authenticity in
supporting your brand which contradicts the validation and relevance
of the process.
Other scholars and professional consultants in this area have also
contributed to the research area offering definitions of personal
branding and useful steps. Many have confirmed the very thought that
brand identity in the corporate and product branding circle is similar to
the personal branding process in that it entails capturing and
promoting the strengths and uniqueness to a target audience (Kaputa
2005, Schawbel, 2009, Shepherd 2005). It is very clear from the literature
on personal branding that this area, although new in the sense that
there is little research, experts in this field are extremely confident that
this phenomenon will be of great importance not only in the
professional world but also on a personal level. Shepherd states that
many consider personal branding to be concentrated on gaining
employment however it is not exclusively used for this purpose; many
people self-brand for many social reasons including dating establishing
friendships or simply for self expression (Shepherd, 2005).
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Personal branding literature investigated is very focused on the
professional considerations associated with individual branding. Many
authors and consultants have targeted the business executive to be
the main focal point of their work, promoting the importance of brand
strategy. Scholars have considered the rise of the enterprise culture
where many have created the need for personal branding due to the
competitive association with the work environment. Paul du Gay states
the condition of the enterprise culture examining its connection with
personal branding explaining that it creates human virtues that
correspond with building your brand such as self reliance, personal
responsibility, boldness and willingness to take risks (Du Gay, 1996). This
theory is very apparent in other authors‟ books such as Fisher- Roffer‟s
book „Make a name for yourself‟. She focuses on the corporate
attraction of your personal brand. She states that „Building a personal
brand strategy allows us to wield our truest Selves. Instead of an assault
on the marketplace, we come bearing the gift of our own best
qualities, packaged in a way to attract precisely the people who need
us, and want us, and will appreciate us the most‟ (Fisher-Roffer, 2002, p.
8). Kaputa and Wernick also support this adding that a personal brand
is the method by which one demonstrates their ability to add value to
the company thus providing oneself with at least some degree of
security (Kaputa, n.d). This „persona produced for public consumption‟
reflects a „self, which continually produces itself for competitive
circulation‟and positions itself as a site for the extraction of value
(Wernick, 1991). All of the following authors and consultants are
focused on the requirement that in order to build a successful personal
brand one must consider themselves a product presented for market
consumption. However whilst elements of marketing literature can be
implemented in the personal branding field, one must highlight the
distinction between the literature.
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Leading on from this one must consider the social implications
pertained to creating a personal brand. Many people do not consider
themselves as a brand, but essentially everyone is a brand. According
to the personal brand group, an experienced consultancy firm,
„Personal branding is also not an option. Everyone has one; your
current personal brand is positive, negative or neutral. The challenge
for more professionals is that they lack the discipline necessary to
define their personal brands‟, if you don‟t pick your own personal
brand, others will do it for you‟ (The Personal Branding Group, 2008).
As the personal branding literature focuses on more of a professional
level, the rise of social media has formed the need for a deeper
analysis of
building personal brands not
just for professional
consumption but rather for social. These social brands can be
experienced on social media sites such as facebook, Twitter or more
significantly through blogging. With the increase of the importance of
having an online presence one must investigate how this can be
achieved. While much of the personal branding literature has not
investigated the social media tools available for personal branding,
consultants in this area have. One of the most influential personal
branding consultants is Dan Schawbel. Tom Peters acknowledges and
commends Schawbel on his work in this area „Dan has taken personal
branding to a dimension a million miles from where I was – Tom Peters,
(Schawbel, 2011). Tom Peters a pioneer behind the personal branding
movement acknowledges the fact that Schawbel has taken this area
to a new level introducing social media to the personal brand building
process. Schawbel has introduced his book Me 2.0 Build a powerful
brand to achieve career success where he concentrates on the use of
social media. He incorporates all social media angles and from his
research he has discovered that social media can build confidence
and
personal branding can
bridge
people with
opportunities
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(Schawbel, 2009). These opportunities can be often found through the
use of facebook, Lnkedin and blogging. Facebook with over 200 million
users it has become one of the most important branding tools for
corporate and personal existence (mashable, 2011) while another tool
supported by Schawbel is LinkedIn, where over 100 million professional
use LinkedIn to exchange information and ideas. He also introduces
blogging as a means to building a strong online personal brand. While
facebook and LinkedIn offer ideal tools for building a strong brand
online through their accessibility and visibility, we must consider the
authentic nature that supports these tools. „A strong personal brand is
an important asset in today‟s online, virtual and individual age. Your
personal brand should be authentic, reflect your true character; and
be built on your values, strengths and uniqueness (Rampersad. H, 2008).
However while formulating and implementing an authentic brand is
viable, one must consider the constraints presented online that hinder
the existence of true expression or authenticity. As personal branding
literature celebrates the freedom and radical individual empowerment
involved in creating the personal brand, its numerous edicts and rules
seriously delimit the field of possibilities within which any imagined
„authentic self ‟ might be performed, reducing the self to a set of purely
instrumental behaviours and circumscribing its meanings within market
discourse. These practices are the epitome of a process Norman
Fairclough has called „synthetic personalization‟ (Fairclough, 1993). As
facebook and LinkedIn harness the structural constraints of these social
sites and scholars and consultants in this area support the market
driven corporate branding to personal branding movement, we must
challenge the authentic contradiction that supports the personal
branding literature. In doing this we can explore blogging as possibly
an appropriate device that promotes the authentic personal brand
development.
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2.5 Blogs
„Blogs allow anyone with bright ideas and interesting perspectives
to be heard. Blogs are personal, direct and unsanitized by
marketing people. Blogs enable a personal conversation with the
people directly involved in making it happen‟ – Don Dodge,
director of business development Microsoft.
Blogging is a relatively new phenomenon within the online media
sector. In the era of advanced technology, this practice has gone from
strength to strength with the information sharing trend set to increase in
the future (Emarketer, 2008). Not hindered by the structural constraints
that surround other social media outlets, this medium gives individual
an objective base to begin with the dissemination of information
supporting their personal brand. While Schawbel has focused on social
media as a driver for creating a strong personal brand, he has failed to
highlight the blogging phenomenon as a possibly the most appropriate
authentic method for personal branding exposure.
McNally and Speak express the importance of relationships in personal
brand building; the challenge to building a stronger brand is to have
the courage to operate authentically, to strive to find alignment with
others and to be creative in applying ones special qualities to make a
difference as often as possible (McNally, Speak 2011). Social media has
offered an accessible method to building relationships, however with
the likes of facebook and LinkedIn one must consider is the information
we release a good representation of our personal brand or are we
simply just giving the market what they want? Schau and Gilly found
that personal homepage creators thought of their work as constructed
for the public; even if they focused on friends or family, creators
„acknowledge the potential for the audience to be unlimited and
undefined‟(Schau, Gilly, 2003). In regards to this we are programmed
to provide similar information based on the settings provided by the
social sites however there are limits on self-expression and with the
17
market driven focus suggested by many in the field, the question arises
do we lose ourselves in social media or is there a way to build an
authentic personal brand through the use of the product marketing
structure that the scholars in this area promote?
The personal branding literature is quite consistent among authors and
consultants in this area. There is a common thread presented in the
personal branding literature regarding the connection between the
product and corporate branding process and the personal branding
process. However while certain elements of corporate branding can
be applied to the personal brand, we argue that the challenge of
consistency conflicts with role theory. Just as individuals play different
roles in their lives, their online presence can possess elements of
conflicting roles, as a friend on facebook and a colleague on LinkedIn
two different approaches can be expectable in building a personal
brand. However, comparing this to corporate branding, consistency in
building the brand is essential. Therefore this consideration must be
implemented into the personal brand building process. While looking at
the construction of personal brands through the corporate branding
literature, an obstacle that can be highlighted is the object of
authenticity where contradictions are apparent in the literature. There
is an unavoidable conflict where on the one hand the scholars imply
that an individual must respond to consumer‟s inline with the marketing
principle, turning themselves into a product for consumption, while on
the other hand they are advised to construct an authentic brand
identity based
on
their core
values, attributes and
unique
characteristics.
In regards to personal branding online, this is an area that is yet to be
completely evaluated. While many consultants are leading the
direction of this practice, within the academic society it is yet to be fully
explored. The online personal branding literature that is based on social
18
media concentrates on facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter where
structural measures constrain the self-expression of an authentic
personal brand. This gap is where blogging could be promoted to
direct the future of true authentic personal brands.
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Chapter 3: Theory
3.1 Introduction
There are three areas within our theory section that are used to support
our problem. These areas include the brand, which highlights the link
between corporate and personal branding focusing on Kapferer‟s
(1992) Brand Identity Prism, which is supported by further theory
concentrating on Aakers (1997) Brand Personality Dimensions. Leading
on from this the section explores theories on authenticity considering
Pine & Gilmore‟s (2007) types of perceived authenticity, which will be
used to support Rampersad‟s (2008) authentic personal brand model.
Another theory that is acknowledged to support the study is
motivational theories presented through the use of Maslow‟s (1954)
famous Hierarchy of Needs.
The aforementioned theories were selected, as they were the most
appropriate and relevant to our problem. While personal branding
literature has stressed the use of corporate branding as a base for
creating a personal brand, we decided to use Kapferer‟s brand
identity prism as a model to test this. Regarding authenticity our
problem seeks to identify the authentic aspirations of personal online
branding, so the theory used is an insightful starting point to build our
discussion. As our problem surrounds the practices and motivations of
personal online branding concentrating on blogging, we have
introduced theories that acknowledge motivation. Maslow‟s Hierarchy
of Needs was chosen based on the fact that we continuously want to
satisfy our needs, personal branding is another need that can be
explained through the use of the pyramid concentrating on some
levels rather than others which will be further elaborated on in the study.
The theories mentioned above based on branding, authenticity and
motivation all relate to each other when we consider the process of
building a personal online brand. The corporate branding literature
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